According to park authorities<\/a>, the twins were born into the Baraka family and are believed to be a male and a female, now about 2 weeks old. Their arrival follows a twin birth in January in the Bageni family.<\/p>\n Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), a subspecies of the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei), live in close-knit groups or families<\/a> led by a dominant silverback male and several females with their offspring. The Virunga mountains host one of two known populations of the endangered ape. Only around 1,050 remain<\/a> in the wild today.<\/p>\n The birth brings the Baraka family to 19 individuals and marks the seventh gorilla birth recorded in Virunga this year.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo instances of twin births within three months is an extraordinary event and provides another vital indicator that dedicated conservation efforts which have continued despite the current instability in eastern Congo are supporting the growth of the endangered mountain gorilla population,\u201d Jacques Katutu, Virunga\u2019s head of gorilla monitoring, said in a press release.<\/p>\n Twin births among mountain gorillas are rare, typically occurring in less than 1% of births, according to park authorities. The first twins of the year, born in January to adult female Mafuko in the Bageni family, are now about 11 weeks old and reported to be thriving. Field teams have also observed strong social support within the group, including a young blackback (a sexually mature male) staying close to the mother and helping protect the newborns.<\/p>\n While the births are encouraging, the context remains challenging. Virunga, Africa\u2019s oldest national park<\/a>, sits in a region affected by ongoing insecurity and displacement. In 2025, M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Rwanda, captured the nearby city of Goma in the eastern DRC.<\/p>\n Mongabay previously reported<\/a> that reduced patrols in parts of Virunga affected by M23 activity since April 2024 have limited monitoring. Researchers and local sources say some individuals have taken advantage of the situation to access forest resources, collaborate with armed groups, or engage in the bushmeat trade.<\/p>\n Park authorities have already reported incidents reflecting these risks. In one case, rangers discovered a young gorilla named Fazili caught in a poacher\u2019s trap, a reminder of the continued threats facing wildlife.<\/p>\n Despite these challenges, Virunga\u2019s mountain gorilla populations have shown signs of recovery. WWF\u2019s 2024 \u201cLiving Planet Report<\/a>\u201d noted that their numbers increased by 3% every year between 2010 and 2016.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mountain gorillas were actually faring extraordinarily well,\u201d Virunga director Emmanuel de Merode told Mongabay. \u201cThe numbers increased because of an enormous effort on the part of Congo\u2019s rangers.\u201d<\/p>\n For now, field teams are closely monitoring the Baraka family and the newborn twins during the critical early months, when survival risks remain high, park officials say.<\/p>\n Banner image: The newborn Baraka family twins. Image courtesy of Virunga National Park.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n
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